Senate to Hold Hearings on Muslim's Rights

Helen Whalen Cohen

3/23/2011 12:21:00 PM - Helen Whalen Cohen

Senator Dick Durbin's office announced plans last night to hold hearings on Muslims civil rights. They will be held by the Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights, which Democrats founded this year and that Senator Durbin now chairs. The hearings are slated to begin on March 29.

“Our Constitution protects the free exercise of religion for all Americans", Senator Durbin said, in a statement released by his office. "During the course of our history, many religions have faced intolerance. It is important for our generation to renew our founding charter’s commitment to religious diversity and to protect the liberties guaranteed by our Bill of Rights.”

Durbin also said that the hearings are not meant to counter Rep. Pete King's hearings on radicalization. Instead, they are meant "in response to the spike in anti-Muslim bigotry in the last year including Quran burnings, restrictions on mosque construction, hate crimes, hate speech and other forms of discrimination".